MEET RACHEL KAE TAYLOR
Actor, Teaching Artist and Puppet Designer Rachel Kae Taylor is one of three ensemble members in DCPA Education’s The Snowy Day and Other Stories, by Ezra Jack Keats, playing through Nov. 18 in the Conservatory Theatre. She plays Archie, Amy, Mom and other roles.

At the Denver Center: The Servant of Two Masters, One Foot on the Floor and A Christmas Carol. Other theatres: Touch the Names (Ensemble Studio Theatre N.Y., Cleveland Play House); The Good Woman of Setzuan, 5th of July (National Theatre Conservatory).

• Hometown: Denver
• Training: University of Colorado, MFA from the Denver Center’s National Theatre Conservatory (pictured below right with Patrick Goss in ‘The Fifth of July’.)
• Twitter-sized bio: Mom of the coolest 14-year-old on the planet. Visual artist. Zombie fanatic. Ghost-story addict. Baseball lover. Doing my part to keep 80s alternative music alive. Undefeated at Tetris.
• Web site? rkaetaylor.com and CupOfTwigs on ETSY
• What was the role that changed your life? This is a tough one because I think every role changes your life in some way, and it should.
• What would you be doing if you were not an actor? I actually have my dream career as a Teaching Artist and At-Risk Coordinator for DCPA Education. I have the privilege of teaching and developing theater arts programing for underserved communities and Title One schools across Colorado. If I hadn’t gone into the arts, I would have been an anthropologist or forensic sculptor. I am the biggest geek for all things science. Humans are endlessly fascinating.
• Ideal scene partner? Larry Hecht (pictured right), the former head of adult acting at the DCPA. He could literally wizard things out of you. Things you had no idea you could do or be.
• Why does The Snowy Day matter? Ezra Jack Keats was such a groundbreaker in terms of social awareness in children’s literature, in a quiet and beautiful way.  For a child to be able to read a story and say “Hey, they look like me!’ is a very powerful thing. I remember the first time it happened to me to this day.
• What do you hope the audience gets out of this play? I hope that for adults it is a reminder of how truly beautiful the simple things in a life are. Whether it is the wonder of a new snowfall, or having your heart flutter for the first time, or little acts of bravery, it’s easy to forget sometimes in our adult lives how magical these moments are. I hope that the kids find themselves within the characters and their discoveries about the world around them. If it is their first time at the theater, I hope they fall madly in love with it, like I did.
• Finish this sentence: “All I want is …”
  ” … to live my favorite quote, which I saw spray-painted on a door in Queens: “Art changes people, and people change the world.’ ”

More Colorado theatre coverage on the DCPA NewsCenter

The cast of ‘The Snowy Day Other Stories,’ from left: Rachel Kae Taylor, Robert Lee Hardy and Zak Reynolds. Photo by Adams VisCom for the DCPA NewsCenter.

Previous NewsCenter coverage of The Snowy Day and Other Stories

First rehearsal photos: Forecast calls for a Snowy Day at DCPA
DCPA Education to launch Theatre for Young Audiences
Meet Zak Reynolds of The Snowy Day, ‘a fan of being happy’

The Snowy Day and Other Stories: Ticket information
From the joys of a first snowfall and learning how to whistle to thrilling encounters delivering a precious invitation, the delightful moments of childhood are perfectly captured in this medley of simple, sweet stories.

• Written by Ezra Jack Keats; adapted for the stage by Jerome Hairston
• Performances through Nov. 18
• School performances: Weekdays 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. (except Thursdays are at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.)
• Public performances: 1:30 p.m. Saturdays
• Conservatory Theatre, located in the Robert and Judi Newman Center for Theatre Education, 1101 13^th St.
• Tickets $10 (discounts and scholarships available)
• Best suited for: Pre-K through third grade
• Call 303-893-4100 or BUY ONLINE
• Teachers: Inquire by clicking here or calling 303-446-4829